


I'm Not Leaving

by MaddieandChimney



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:28:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24338899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaddieandChimney/pseuds/MaddieandChimney
Summary: "We're not getting out of this alive, are we?" "We're not, but you are."
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Maddie Buckley
Comments: 3
Kudos: 76
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales, The Buckley Siblings One Shots





	1. The Beginning of the End

"We're not making it out of this alive, are we?" Maddie wiped at the tears that had fallen down her face, mixing with the dust and the blood that already coated her cheeks. She was sure she could scramble her way out, between the debris, she was sure she could see just a little bit of light through the brick of the once standing building. " _We're_ not, but _you_ are." His voice was weak, nothing like the usual sound that came from her brother's mouth, the look on his face spoke louder than what he was actually saying. He had given up.

She looked at her brother, her hand shaking when she reached for his. “I’m not leaving you.” She tried to keep her voice strong, to no avail. The tears fell, Buck wouldn’t look at her, she could see the way his eyes glistened, knowing he was trying to stay strong, just as she was.

“Maddie, listen to me...” His breathing was shallow, “You-you have so much more, to... live for..” Her head was shaking, and she let out a broken sob, “N-no, don’t say that. We can wait... f-for help, together.” She brought her hand to her mouth as she coughed, flinching when she pulled her hand back to reveal a splutter of blood coating her skin.

“We don’t have time to wait, Maddie. You have to leave me behind, okay? I can’t move, but you can.. please.” He was begging, and she looked around in an attempt to find another way, as though what he was saying wasn’t their only option. Only, there had been an earthquake, Buck had found himself crushed beneath a concrete pillar, with no hope of either of them freeing him. They didn’t know when help would come, or if it would come in time. Maddie wasn’t sure she had ever felt as helpless as she did right then. Her brother was dying, her baby brother who she had promised to protect and there was nothing she could do.

“A-are you in pain?” She finally asked, her hand moving to his forehead, brushing her blood-free hand through his hair in the same way she had when he was younger. He smiled up at her, tears in his eyes, “I can’t feel anything.” They both knew that wasn’t a good sign, “I’m dying, you know that. You can leave... please Maddie. You’re bleeding, and there’s so much blood... you-you..” She could tell he was struggling to keep his eyes open, the way his speech slurred caused her to panic.

“No! I’m not leaving you, I promised, remember? We-we pinky promised, so I’m not leaving. There’s still hope.” Whilst he was breathing, there was still hope. But she was tired, too, and she found herself moving to lay with her head next to his, her hand still moving through his hair. “We’re going to be okay. I’m not leaving.” Her voice was barely a whisper, and Buck wished he could push her away, tell her there was no use in the both of them dying, but his eyes closed and he let himself think back to all the times his sister had used the same gesture to comfort him when they were younger.

“I love you.” He managed to get out, thinking, for just a moment, he could hear the shouts of someone asking if anyone was down there. It must have been his imagination, because Maddie hadn’t flinched. “I love you, too.”


	2. Wake Up

"Wake up. Please wake up." 

She sat up as she cried, ignoring any pain she felt the moment she realised her brother’s eyes had shut. “Buck, please?” Her entire body was shaking as she moved her fingers towards his neck, sobbing hard in relief when she felt just the faint traces of a pulse against her fingers. “W-wake up, please..” Maddie managed to move her body just enough so she could get even closer to him. 

She kept one hand on his neck, whilst the other rested on his forehead, wishing she could see his eyes once again. There was still hope. That was what she kept trying to tell herself, there was hope as long as he was breathing. And he still was, even if it was only barely. 

“Hang in there, Evan...”

She felt the darkness slowly easing her in, her own breathing slowing, her teeth chattering when a frost seemed to cut through the air. She was dying, too, she quickly thought. And for just a second, she wondered if she had done the right thing - not leaving him behind as he had asked. Perhaps she could have found help and saved them both. Perhaps he would have died alone. 

She gulped as she looked down at the open wound on her leg, she had attempted to apply pressure but the blood was still gushing out and she hadn’t had the heart to tell her brother that, even if she had wanted to leave him, she probably wouldn’t have made it far enough to bring back any help. Her sob echoed through the cavern that had been created when the building collapsed around them, as she thought of how history was about to repeat itself. 

Her daughter, like her father, was about to grow up without her mother. Only, she’d never remember her, she was approaching her first birthday. The very reason she and Buck had been at the mall in the first place, so they could make the day as special as possible with around one hundred balloons and a massive electronic Fire Truck that Buck had insisted on buying. They had been laughing, heading back towards the underground parking lot when disaster had struck. Neither of them had any time to react, it had happened so quickly. 

She wasn’t sure how long either of them had been unconscious for, but, when she came to, the first thing she had seen was her brother beneath a concrete pillar, his eyes closed. And in that moment, she had feared the worst, it was that very fear that caused her to pull the large piece of metal embedded in her leg out, tying it off as best she could with a piece of her shirt she managed to rip off. She ignored all other injuries, her sole focus on Buck, who’s eyes opened when she called out his name and managed to make her way to him despite the excruciating pain. 

It felt like it had been hours since that moment, and somehow even longer since he had told her to leave him behind. She’d never do that, she had made him a promise and she had every intention of sticking to it. Besides, when the alternative was one, or both of them dying alone, it was an easy decision.

“I got you.” She managed to whisper, her bottom lip quivering, and the tears falling. And then she heard something she had given up all hope on hearing, the sound of someone screaming her name. Howie knew where she’d be that day, if he was in the building, she knew how hard he would fight to bring her and her brother home. “H-Howie?” Her voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, he’d never be able to hear her. She tried again, and then again, before she scrambled up, stumbling towards the piece of metal she had pulled from her leg. She didn’t know what else to do, other than throw it in the general direction of his voice. 

It clanged to the ground. But she was sure it wasn’t loud enough, not if someone wasn’t listening for the sound. “Evan... Evan.” She moved back towards her still unconscious brother, shaking him, “Wake up, wake up... someone’s coming, wake up, please... I-I need you. Please...” 

The familiar voices of the 118 seemed to be getting closer, and she knew she had to try again, even if it was the last thing she did, “Help!” It was louder that time, but the coughing fit that followed, blood spluttering onto her brother’s cheek before she could cover her mouth. “Please... please... Evan, they’re coming... they’re coming.” 

His eyes were starting to flutter open, “M-Maddie?” She smiled down at him, despite the tears, “They’re here, Evan, they’re here... just hold on a little longer for me, for Amelia...s-she needs her mommy _and_ her Uncle... h-hold on.” His hand moved up to find hers, giving it a tight squeeze when the sound of their friends... their _family_... got even closer. 

“We’re here... we’re here...” It wasn’t loud enough for them to hear, but Maddie could feel her own eyes starting to get heavy, she could feel her world turning dark. 

_“Maddie? Buck?”_


End file.
